Way Back When-esday!

Here are a bunch of random Way Back When-esday pictures! :-) But I am proud that I start doing much better taking pictures once October rolls around.

Year: 2005
Age: 7 + months
*This was Brooklyn's first Congregational Retreat with our church in Arden, NC, but also her first walk in the CROP Walk for hunger. She did an excellent job riding in the stroller while I walked. :-)

Year: 2006
Age: 19 + months
*This was Brooklyn waiting for her daddy and Grandpa to cross the finish line at the first ever Girl Scout Thin Mint Sprint 5K race.

Year: 2007
Age: 2 years, 7 months
*Brooklyn and Allie loving on each other outside of Panera Bread, one of our favorite Sunday morning breakfast spots at the time.

Year: 2008
*No picture of Brooklyn this week, partly because we were so busy getting ready for my college friend, Jennifer's, wedding that weekend. She and Jay had a fun photographer, and I loved this shot she took of the girls. Happy one year anniversary, Jennifer and Jay Weaver!

Goodbye, Catfish Hunter! We'll miss you!

In completely unrelated baby news....Chad had the honor and priviledge of "relocating" my parents' catfish to a bigger and better location. Long story short, 6 years ago, my dad caught this 6 inch baby catfish at a local lake in Greensboro and brought it home to live in their backyard pond. After 6 years of eating regularly (fish food and some of his smaller "brothers and sisters"), my dad decided that ole Catfish Hunter was getting too big for their pond. He would occasionally flop around the top of the water and even had the ability to splash water out of the pond (and scare the pants off a certain 4 year old princess). So, my dad and Chad set a date and Chad came over with his gear excited as he could be.

Day 1: Catfish-3, Chad-0
On the first day, Chad broke three lines and lost two hooks to Catfish Hunter. We weren't sure how big this guy was, but Chad knew he needed to bring in the "big guns."


Day 2:
Armed with his dad's salt water high test fishing line and a large net, my dad and Chad succeed in pulling Catfish Hunter out of the pond. He was MUCH bigger than we had ever anticipated.



Catfish Hunter was returned to his original pond that afternoon with no injuries- just a bit shaken up from the experience. We hope that he has a long and healthy life at Hester Park (and didn't become someone's dinner that evening). We are just all believing that he will spend his remaining years in a larger, more accomodating space with new friends.

And Brooklyn's happy that the catfish can no longer splash her on the swing set.

Weeks 32-34...Told you I was busy! :-)

I knew it would happen...I'm already behind in documenting poor Baby #2's life and he's not even born yet! :-) The last few weeks have been so busy with work, but in a way, that's great because it is also making this (incredibly uncomfortable) third trimester go by pretty quickly too. I had a 33 week doctor's appointment last Friday. Stats are good for both of us. I have gained about 31 total pounds and continuing to gain about a pound a week. More than I had hoped, but less than with Brooklyn, so I am not too disappointed. My blood pressure stays consistently at 120/70 and my belly is measuring right on target at 33-34 cm. Baby Jake's heartbeat was 143, and he has been sooooo active. He was laying horizontal for a while, but I think he is starting his journey "downstream" based on where I feel the most movement. I will try to enjoy the last few weeks of uncomfortable nights, constant peeing, arms in my rib cage, and head in my groin area seeing that I am 99% sure this is my last pregnancy. Its a miracle, a blessing, and just an all around wonderful thing to grow a child in your body, but I am ready for it to be over. Here are some pictures that we took at the 32 week mark.

And here is a brief synopsis of what Babycenter.com says has been going on in Weeks 32-34:

By Week 32, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. Jake now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. By Week 33, your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (half a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. At Week 34, your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

So many posts to do...so little time!

There is so much I have to catch up on. Unfortunately, this is my busiest time of year at work with Girl Scout Recruitment (aka: working about 3 nights a week in addition to days). I hope to get some posts up in the next few days...or maybe in a few minutes if I choose to procrastinate some on work. :-)

Way Back When-esday!

I told you last week that September is usually a slow picture month for Way Back When-esday. :-) So, as a compromise, here are several pics from one "event."

Year: 2007

Age: 2 1/2 years

*Here is Brooklyn playing dress up with her "big sister" Allie (6 years old). They have always had a blast playing together.

*Uncle Joe gets Brooklyn ready for her "debut."

*Ta Da!

*Allie's turn!

*The daddies just sitting back and relaxing.

The boy has a name!

After Friday's quick confirmation that our baby is still indeed a boy, we decided to finally commit to a name. Many of you know this has been an extremely difficult process for us (me), and I have toyed with hundreds of names from tons of sources. There was one name that I liked, a lot even, but tried very hard to find something "wrong" with it since I seemed to find many things wrong with everything else I liked. (You just try to match a boy's name to the last name "Johnson" and see what you can come up with!) After weeks of debating and Chad always coming back to this particular name, and after a quick approval from Brooklyn, we have decided to name our baby boy....

Here is a pictures of his (unfinished) nursery. Once we decided on the name, I just couldn't wait to put it on the walls. :-) We still have some stuff left to do to complete the decor, but thanks to our wonderful god-family, the Henzlers, he is using their bedding, a Classic Pooh print with dark blue alphabet letters.

His official name will be Jake Edward Johnson. Edward comes from both our brothers' middle names, which came from their maternal grandfather's middle names. We just loved the way "Jake" sounded with Edward and with Johnson...but as a bonus the meaning of "Jake" is "Supplanter" which is also the meaning of "Jaclyn." Coincidence? I hope not! :-)

So, we are excited as we start calling our baby "Jake" now...and it sounds so sweet coming from Brooklyn's mouth.

Week 31- Still a boy!

I went to the doctor's office today. Officially, I am 31 weeks, 5 days and measuring at 32 weeks. I gained 2.5 pounds since the last visit and my BP was 120/72. The nurse was a GYN nurse and had a hard time getting a clear fetal heartbeat, but Dr. C found it right away and it was 150 BPM. We had a SUPER quick ultrasound (no pics and no face shots), but Dr. C did a "ball shot" (if you knew her, you would know this was normal terminology for her). He is definitely still a boy....so now I am off to wash 0-3 month clothes and organize his closet. :-) Things are going great with this pregnancy (despite the normal aches, pains, nausea, heartburn, nosebleeds, etc.) and I am so grateful to God for a so-far healthy baby.

Here's what Babycenter says is going on:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Happy Anniversary, Adams Farm Parkway!

We spent last Labor Day Weekend painting and moving into our new home. I REALLY cannot believe we have been here a year already. I went back to this post where I kind of gave a "2 week update" of how things were going, and I wanted to revist, one year later, things that I thought I would miss about our old house and things that I thought I would love in the new house. So....here's an UPDATE to the UPDATE one year later. My new comments are in purple.

Things I will miss about Eagle Road:
It's our first home: Well, it does hold, and will always hold, a special place in my heart, but as I stated before...it's just a house. Um...not really missing it so much now...:-)
Brooklyn's first (and only home): She made many memories in that house, and I look forward to the many will be make together here at the new house. After months of wanting to "visit" the old house and wondering who lived there now, she is asking about it less and less.
The backyard: We have a great backyard here- thank goodness! Chad has done a great job maintaining our new backyard. We have added a swingset/playground, and despite a "bee problem" right now, we have spent many hours outside with Brooklyn.
My gardenias: Seriously, I am kind of over them already. Sadly, I never did have a green thumb. However, Chad keeps telling me that we will plant some more gardenias in the front yard...probably in the spring.
Vaccuming: I have found that I can vaccum the new house using two plugs, so that's not too bad. Since becoming pregnant Chad has done most of the vaccuming so this really hasn't been an issue for me. :-)
The hole: Dad and I looked, and although we don't have a wall where we can make another hole, the space is open enough, I think we will be OK. :-) I am surviving without a "hole in the wall." The Stevensons: We will always miss you guys! Actually, the Stevensons bought a house closer to us, so even though we are not a block away (a mere 60 second run proven by Jon), we are still within 5 minutes. :-)

And now an update on things I had looked forward to at the new house:
Duel sinks in the master bath: Honestly, the duel sinks are not that great (more to clean) but the COUNTER SPACE is incredible in the master bath! Still loving the bathroom and counter space. No complaints here.
Cool sink nozzle/sprayer in the kitchen: Yup, love it! Still love it though I have been so busy lately its amazing I even SEE my kitchen much less cook in it.
Hardwood floors: Spills have been great to clean up downstairs (no stains on the carpet upstairs yet!) I should probably mop them more often, but I do like not having the stained carpet in high traffic areas.
A place to have a big Christmas tree (in the LIVING ROOM): Yet to be determined since, thankfully, I have a few weeks until the holiday season. We had a GREAT first Christmas in our new home. The tree (about 8 feet) fit GREAT in the space and we were very excited to have Christmas in the living room and not our kitchen/dining room as in past years.
New carpet and paint upstairs (that I didn't have to do!): Some rooms I like, some not so much now that we are moved in with our stuff (like the master bedroom). Over the summer, Chad painted the master bedroom and both full baths upstairs. I love the new colors and am very excited about doing some more "decorating" in the next several months.
Side by side fridge with an ice maker (that's connected!): Once I figure out the best way to store food efficiently, it will be great. Fridge has been organized; ice works; life is good.
Retractable, remote controlled awning on the patio (cement, not brick- yay!): We've already spent a lot of time outdoors and that extra shade has been nice. Still LOVE the awning and back patio.
Neighbors with kids (three years old, too!): We met Peyton, a three year old, next door- VERY cute and friendly! Peyton and Brooklyn still love playing together and its nice to have a young couple our age living next door.
A dutch barn (as opposed to the "out house" looking contraption we call storage now): Already filled with crap; I'm gonna have to get in there and clean! Filled with lots of baby stuff and empty maternity clothes bins that will soon be in use or given away over the next few months. It's been great to have the extra storage.
A bonus room (or as Brooklyn calls it, "her dancing space"): Been a GOD SEND for all her toys. Now, is also the home of an elliptical trainer and the office furniture so it's a bit cramped now, but still a great space for us to have.
CLOSETS: Like the dutch barn- already filled up but up for a good cleaning out when I get the chance (or when we move again, whichever comes first). They are currently filled with tubs of my regular clothes and maternity clothes that are "off season," but after November, they will be GREAT wrapping paper and craft storage closets.
A breakfast table (more chairs for everyone!): We LOVE our new table from World Market. Still love it and wish that we ate at home more to enjoy it. :-)
Surround sound: Not hooked up yet; Probably will never be. Actually, Chad did hook up the stereo so we have sound coming from our two main speakers, but as for surround sound, nope, not yet. :-)

Way Back When-esday!

Boy, am I embarrassed this week. I only have two pictures for WBW! I am gonna blame it on work and say that since September is usually the BUSIEST month of the year for me, that MUST be why I barely have taken any Brooklyn pictures in year's past. :-)

Year: 2006
Age: 1 1/2 years
*My good eater looks like she was cleaning the spaghetti bowl that night!

Year: 2007
Age: 2 1/2 years
*We said goodbye to the potty seat and hello to the regular potty. This was Brooklyn's "Farewell Tour" as the potty was sitting by the front door waiting for its owners to come pick it up.

30 Weeks!

This baby is 3/4 of the way cooked! I am so ready to move from pregnancy to baby! :-)

Here's what's going on this week...

How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face.

*I am now to two week doctor visits, so this is the "off week." My next appointment is next Friday, and I hope to 1. Set a c-section date with the hospital and 2. Have a quickie ultrasound to make sure Little Johnson still has a "little johnson." :-)

*I'm feeling pretty good....fat, but good. Shaving legs, tying shoes, and pulling on pants are becoming increasingly harder to do. Eating is something I can do well. :-)

Way Back When-esday!

It feels like forever since I've been around on a Wednesday....so without further ado, here is today's edition of Way Back When-esday!

Year: 2005

Age: 6 months

*Such a chunky monkey that girl was at this age! But such a happy baby!

Year: 2006

Age: 18 months

*She already looks so much older here...and the beginnings of her peach fuzz hair is coming in!

Year: 2007

Age: 2 1/2 years

*She and Kate are still best friends...this was taken at a Panera breakfast one Sunday morning...the girls were so goofy!

Year: 2008

Age: 3 1/2 years

*This was taken right before her Uncle Drew's graduation party. I couldn't believe how much hair she had THEN!

From the mouth of the babe...

Just for fun, tonight I came home and asked Brooklyn the same questions. I did pretty good with my answers, matching some to hers, but some of her responses were quite surprising. :-)

Food- french fries
Song- Mamma Mia
TV Show- Jon and Kate Plus 8
Movie- Cinderella
Friends- Kate
Saying- Mamma Mia
Animal- Penguin
Restaurant- Chili's
Story- Curious George Makes Pancakes
Halloween costume- Ballerina
Candy- Starburst
Drink- Milk
Outfit- Pajamas; Clothes
Playground equipment- Swings
Game- Poker
Colors- Pink and Purple
Shoes- Pink new flip flops
Ways to annoy mommy and daddy- Being mean
Bath time activity- "Pour water on my head"
Breakfast food- Cereal; Cheerios
Special treat- Jelly Beans

Happy 4 1/2 Birthday, Brooklyn!

In honor of Brooklyn's "half birthday" yesterday, we made jello and ate "half cupcakes." I also wanted to take a look at some of her current favorites, so I can always remember my firstborn at this age. She is such a sweet girl...though she can have her moments with mom and dad. She is still pretty shy around people...she doesn't like to be the center of attention. However, if you do NOT pay attention, she tries really hard to get your attention subtly. :-)

Favorites:
Food- Mac and cheese; salad with ranch dressing; rice
Song- Mamma Mia
TV Show- Jon and Kate Plus 8
Movie- Not much of a movie watcher, but she enjoyed Happy Feet the other night
Friends- All her Shout sisters and all the girls in her class at school
Saying- This kid quotes from the Jon and Kate shows...from all the seasons...it's pretty ridiculous.
Animal- Penguin
Restaurant- Golden Corral (or otherwise known as the "place where you pick out your own food")
Story- Curious George and "finding thing" books
Halloween costume- This week she says a ballerina
Candy- Jelly beans and Starburst
Drink- Chocolate Milk; Sweet Tea
Outfit- Dresses
Playground equipment- Swings
Game- Hide and Seek (with people or objects)
Colors- Varies
Shoes- Flip Flops
Ways to annoy mommy and daddy- Complete defiance
Bath time activity- Pouring water; Playing with "bathtub Dora"
Breakfast food- Any kind of cereal in a sandwich baggie
Special treat- Candy when she sleeps all night in her bed

And here's a pic of my sweet, "shy" 4 1/2 year old:

Thursday and Friday = Sea World

Thursday morning/afternoon and Friday evening were spent at Sea World. What a fun and educational place that is! And what a difference going after 4pm makes! Friday was sooooo enjoyable...slightly overcast and threatened to rain, but didn't. And the temps were about 20 degrees cooler, so that was an awesome plus. Brooklyn and I throughly enjoyed seeing all the animals and Chad, Eric, and Caroline LOVED the new roller coaster, Manta, where you fly "superman style" underneath the coaster tracks.

Brooklyn's favorite spot: The Penguin Habitat. We saw 200 penguins just "chillin" in their habitat. They were so cute (and their building was soooo cool!). :-)

Brooklyn and Bryce were so cute in their Thing 1 and Thing 2 t-shirts.

We found another carousel- yippee! Brooklyn and Nanny having a fun ride.

We tried to convince Brooklyn that the "teacup seashell" ride was also a lot of fun. Despite Chad and Eric's demonstration, she was not convinced it was the ride for her. However, it was great fun for us to see two grown men crammed together in one small seashell.

The Shamu show was awesome! Those killer whales truly are incredible!

We also saw puffins (so cute!), dolphins (Bryce got to feed and pet them!), sea lions (we fed them small fish), manatees (eh, kinda boring), sting rays (petting pool, but Brooklyn and I were not interested in touching anything), walruses (HUGE and kinda weird looking up close), beluga whales (so cute!), polar bears (well, one's butt), sharks (of all shapes and sizes swimming above our heads), hundreds of fish (in several different tanks), manta-rays (very neat to see "smiling" above our heads), etc.etc.etc. It was an awesome place to visit!

Saturday, we spent some final hours with Eric and Caroline back at the house. We packed up our stuff, said our tearful goodbyes, and started driving north. We made it to Savannah where we stayed in a hotel for the night. (Chad looked for Paula Deen!) Then, Sunday, we slept in, ate our continental breakfast, and drove the rest of the way home. What a wonderful vacation as a family! We loved being with Eric and Caroline in their last days in Florida and cannot wait to start planning a family vacation out to Los Angeles!

Wednesday = Johnson Pool/Outlet Shopping Day

As mentioned in the previous post, because I kind of "overdid" it on Tuesday, Chad, Brooklyn, and I decided to hang back at the house on Wednesday and take it easy. Everyone else went back to Universal Studios with Eric and Caroline (since they didn't make it Monday), and we decided to pool it at the house. Unfortunately, the pool man decided to come and put chemicals in that morning so our pool was off-limits. FORTUNATELY, we decided to try out the clubhouse pool that day, and boy, are we glad that we did! Brooklyn LOVED this pool. It was 3-6 feet with a gradual entrance (like a beach). She did so well swimming with her vest and noodle and a few times with nothing at all! What a great job she is doing in the water!

Vacation Recap Continued....Tuesday = Islands of Adventure

Tuesday the 11th was spent at Islands of Adventure Theme Park (adjacent to Universal Studios). Brooklyn LOVED the "Dr. Seuss Section" of the park, so we pretty much stayed there for the most part, minus a dinner trip to the "Marvel Comic Section" of the park. We spent much of the day riding rides (well, really just riding the carousel) and staying cool ducking in and out of stores and restaurants.

Brooklyn loved this mini door where kids could enter this shop:

I was so proud of her for riding this train ride with Nanny...

LOVING the carousel...

So cute in the Dr. Seuss bookstore...

Spending from about 10am until about 7pm at the theme park was pushing it a bit for me, so Chad and I decided that Wednesday would be a Johnson Family Pool and Outlet Shopping Day. :-)

Doctor's Appointment- 29 weeks, 6 days

This update is mostly for the grandparents...

My Stats:
Blood Pressure- 120/70
Weight Gain- +3 last month
Belly Measuring- 30 weeks

Baby's Stats:
Heart Rate- 150 bpm
Active and healthy as far as we can tell!

Part 2: Orlando (Monday)

After traveling on Sunday, we decided to just do grocery shopping at the house and swim in the backyard pool. Monday was our first day of "theme parking" it, and we headed to Universal Studios.

The family at the theme park entrance....before the massive sweating began.

Brooklyn had it made- a stroller and a squirting fan...what a lucky girl!

Cheezing it up at the Fivel Playground.

She even had parts of the playground all to herself.

How do you keep a child entertained while her family goes on the rollercoasters and bigger rides? CANDY!

It was a great first day. We made it to about mid-afternoon in the park, and then headed back to the house for dinner and swimming. Eric and Caroline arrived about 7pm, and then the family was complete! :-)

Our Florida Vacation- Part 1: Tallahassee

We left on Thursday, August 6th to drive down to Florida for my brother, Eric's, film school graduation. Eric was one of 29 students participating in a 2 year program at Florida State. I personally cannot believe that he is already DONE with his masters degree (but he and his classmates may disagree with how fast time flew by!). We made a quick stop in south Georgia for the night and then woke up Friday morning and finished our route to Tallahassee. We arrived at lunch time, saw Eric for about 30 minutes in between his lectures, and got settled in the hotel. Caroline (Eric's girlfriend) also had her family in town and they had several friends come down to partake in the weekend festivities. We all met for dinner at this country buffet (with 15 people E and C thought a buffet would be quick and easy). It was nice to meet Caroline's family (finally after 4+ years!) and all enjoy a meal together...though it was quite an experience! This restaurant was packed with graduates and their families (there was three graduations that weekend), it was "seafood buffet night", and some of Tallahassee's "finest" came out for dinner. It wasn't the homeless, shirtless man knocking on the back door of the restaurant that was the strangest, or the large bowl of homemade pork rinds on the buffet...but it was the restaurant's birthday song that stood out the most to me. It went something like this...
"Fried chicken. Fat Back. It's your birthday. How 'bout that?" Priceless. Chad also took a picture on his phone of a guy that could be a dead ringer for Cedric the Entertainer.

Saturday was a busy, busy day filled with graduation and two film screenings (about 5 hours of films total). Eric and his friend, Adam, were chosen to "address" the class at the graduation ceremony (unbeknownest to US!), and they did a great job! The ceremony was really nice. Here is a horrible pic of Eric and Adam during their talk.

Then, we took a quick stretch break and settled in for three hours of film screenings. Chad and I swapped back and forth between watching the films (I made him watch all the scary ones!) and keeping Brooklyn entertained with arts and crafts and her own movies in the theater lobby. After the afternoon screenings, we went to the infamous Momo's Pizza for the biggest pizza I have ever seen in my life.

Here are the bro-in-laws getting some love in:

And Brooklyn waiting on her food....she did sooooo well at the graduation and waiting around during the screenings. I have been blessed with such a patient daughter!

This was the pizza box...36 inches!

Here's Brooklyn attempting to eat a slice of pizza bigger than her head...

After dinner, we went back to the hotel to clean up and change clothes, and then headed back to the theater for the evening screenings. That lasted a little over two hours, but again, Chad and I swapped back and forth and Brooklyn was an angel. She fell asleep at the end of the screenings, so we opted out of the "after party" and went back to the hotel.

Sunday, we woke up, packed up our stuff, and headed south to a week in Orlando/Kissimmee. Eric and Caroline would be joining us the next day after their family and friends left Tallahassee.

Week 28 and 29....

Part of the joy of being on vacation is that the pregnancy weeks actually tick by fairly quickly. :-) Here are updates from Weeks 28 and 29....

Week 28 (in Tallahassee and Kissimmee, Florida):
*Things were great, pregnancy wise, as long as I paced myself throughout the days. The days were HOT (mid 90s most of the day) and we did a lot of walking. Occasionally I would feel some extra stretching and such (due to the effects of gravity) on my belly, but for the most part, Little Man and I did OK in sunny Florida.
*I continue to have awful heartburn dealt with only by Zantac twice a day and Tums spread out throughout.
*Food is still my friend...Vacation food is even better...and unfortunately I am sure to pay for that on the doctor's scale Friday. :-)
*The Little Man (yes, still nameless) moves A LOT. He is such a wiggle worm, especially between 9:30-11:00pm. Though adorable as that is, he can pack some powerful punches when he wants to.
*The Wednesday before we left for vacation, I did pass my glucose test- yay! I was a bit low on the iron scale, but the lab tech said for me to just continue prenatal vitamins and I should be OK.

What Babycenter says...
How your baby's growing: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Week 29 (this week):
*Things are pretty much the same this week as last. I'm still feeling great, as long as I am in air conditioning. :-) Brooklyn, the baby, and I all traveled well home from Florida- stopping about every two hours for snacks and leg stretches.
*Doctor's appointment Friday....I think a regular check up, but I am never sure.

What Babycenter says...
How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

back to work...

I'm back to work after being out since Wednesday, August 5th. I have come back to a new supervisor, new phone system that I do not know how to use, 150 emails to answer, 2000 spam emails to delete, and furniture piled on my desk because the carpets were cleaned.

Oh yeah, and I found out that while I was away, my computer was used and contracted a virus (that has supposedly been cleaned up). Lovely.

It may be a while before I get to post pics from my vacation. :-)

I hope this is not a forecast of what's to come with my maternity leave.

home...

we're home after a 10 day vacation to Florida....lots of posts to make but just too tired tonight! hopefully I will have some great stories and pictures up over the next few days. thanks for checking in!

Way Back When-esday!

For this week's Way Back When-esday, I actually have all August pictures of Brooklyn with her "big/God sister" Allie. They have been best friends since the day Brooklyn came home from the hospital, and though the age gap causes to become somewhat problematic at times when they fight and bicker, they love each other just like sisters.

Year: 2005
Brooklyn's Age: almost 6 months
Allie's Age: 4 years
*Brooklyn's God Family dropping by for a quick visit on their way to the pool.

Year: 2006
Brooklyn's Age: almost 18 months
Allie's Age: 5 years
*This year, Brooklyn was old enough to actually GO to the pool herself. She didn't get in much, but she loved the snacks and the pool chairs.

Year: 2007
Brooklyn's Age: almost 2 1/2 years
Allie's Age: 6 years
*Loving each other at their other "sister" Zoe's 1st birthday party.

Year: 2008
Brooklyn's Age: almost 3 1/2 years
Allie's Age: 7 years
Zoe's Age: 2 years
*Allie and Brooklyn were so excited once Zoe got a little bigger so they could all play together...here they are making a Brooklyn Sandwich!

27 weeks, 2 days...but who's counting?

According to SOME sites on the internet, we have entered the third trimester this week. Other sites say that Week 28 is the first week of the third trimester, so I feel kind of in limbo this week. :-) Regardless, I FEEL like I am in the third trimester. I have started grunting when getting up from the couch, sweating after walking to the car, and breathing heavy after putting on pants and socks. If that's not third trimester symptoms, I don't know what is. :-) I have also started snoring in the middle of the night, so Chad has pretty much moved to the couch (another third trimester symptom I had with Brooklyn). I also experience horrible acid reflux in the middle of the night (about 3-4 times a week) where I wake up choking and gagging and have to recover for about 10 minutes before I can fall back asleep. Lovely stuff, I tell you.

Now for the fun information....what's going on with Bitty Baby Brother Johnson this week:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

I never claimed to love being pregnant. In fact, except for the fact that I don't have to suck in my gut for 40 weeks and the first few weeks of the kicks and rolls of the baby, I pretty much don't enjoy it. I had a wonderful pregnancy with Brooklyn in that there were no complications and she was born very healthy at 40.5 weeks. I did have every "minor pregnancy discomfort" known to man, though. If it was listed in "What to Expect When Expecting", I had it.....heartburn, nausea, leg cramps, nosebleeds, headaches, constipation, and on and on and on. It's been the same with this pregnancy...but I woudn't trade it. I'll take the heartburn, nausea, headaches, etc. as long as I give birth to a healthy fullterm baby at the end. I swear, though, with the heartburn I have had, this baby should be born with a 'fro! So, anyways, as I am 99% sure this will be my last pregnancy, I don't get sad thinking about never being pregnant again. I will be so happy to just bring a healthy son home and round out our family of 4. I cannot wait to permanently get rid of maternity clothes and close this chapter in my life. God has blessed me with two babies, and I am taking them and running. :-)

Happy Anniversary, Chad!

It's been 7 years since I became Mrs. Chad Johnson. Some days it feels like it was yesterday; while other days, it's like we have been together our whole lives. Well, we have pretty much KNOWN each other most of our lives, and we have been "an exclusive couple" for 12 years (on August 13th), so yes, it's been a long time. :-)

I wrote this post last year celebrating our anniversary: http://jaclynbjohnson.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-wonderful-life-is-now-youre-in.html. All those memories stay true. Our wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life....to know that those 227 people will never all be in the same room again- but they were there to celebrate US- never ceases to amaze me. I always think about that at weddings- and I always remind the bride and groom to look around at everyone and remember that moment because they will never all be there again. I am blessed to still keep in touch with all my bridesmaids and Chad with his groomsmen- it shows us that we picked the right people for the job. :-) They are all truly lifelong friends. Chad and I come from families with very stable, very solid couples. His parents have been married almost 36 years and mine 32 years. My Oma and Opa have been married 57 years and my grandmother and grandfather celebrated 53 years in May the week before my grandfather passed away. Some may think it's pressure, but I see it as a goal. :-)

So, happy anniversary, Chad (though I have no idea when you will read this blog again- ha ha!). I love you...forever and always...and cannot wait to spend the next 7-0 years with you!